Solar kiln/greenhouse, woodshed plans

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I've been collecting sliding glass doors and windows for the last several years, with plans to build a greenhouse to start my seedlings in the spring for our large garden. I had the idea recently to use the back (north side) of the greenhouse to stack and dry our firewood and add thermal mass, against the rear (north) wall. The greenhouse will run east-west so that it gets maximum sunlight. And I should have plenty of space under the glass along the south side to grow all the seedlings that we will need.

Additionally, I bought enough treated landscape timbers (the ones that are cores left over from making plywood) to built a pole frame for a open sided woodshed, 8x8x16, but have decided that 8x8x24 would be a more efficient use of materials, and we will use the space. I'm going to pour concrete footings and anchor the timbers down at the corners and 8 ft intervals. Still working out the roof.

I've been watching CL for some time for steel for the roof of the woodshed, but haven't found any yet.

Any thoughts on either structure?

 

[Poindexter]

Given the weather extremes we have all been seeing lately, I think a better sealed up more weather protection wood curing/ storage solution is a good idea for many. I am just trying to keep up at my place.

Already have a 4x8 foot hoop style greenhouse for early starts. We have about 8" of insulation between grade level and the bottom of the dirt in that raised bed so the planting soil up top is thermally disconnected from the frozen ground.

solarguy2003 has been using a fairly large structure both for drying wood and maintaining plants. His thread is here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...od-working-awesome.129149/page-4#post-2022056

It reads to me like he could get that thing too hot for plants to live in if he wanted to. Clearly you can do both with one structure, I suspect there is some tuning involved, though it doesn't really sound like he killed off a bunch of plants getting his dialed in.

Re: roofing, what is your anticipated snow load and roof pitch?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Given the weather extremes we have all been seeing lately, I think a better sealed up more weather protection wood curing/ storage solution is a good idea for many. I am just trying to keep up at my place.

Already have a 4x8 foot hoop style greenhouse for early starts. We have about 8" of insulation between grade level and the bottom of the dirt in that raised bed so the planting soil up top is thermally disconnected from the frozen ground.

solarguy2003 has been using a fairly large structure both for drying wood and maintaining plants. His thread is here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...od-working-awesome.129149/page-4#post-2022056

It reads to me like he could get that thing too hot for plants to live in if he wanted to. Clearly you can do both with one structure, I suspect there is some tuning involved, though it doesn't really sound like he killed off a bunch of plants getting his dialed in.

Re: roofing, what is your anticipated snow load and roof pitch?

Thanks PD. I was at least partially inspired by solarguy2003's post. I may spring for some of the automatic vents that can be bought for greenhouses, those that are powered by a wax cylinder that expand when they get hot, to avoid cooking the plants when I am at work.
And I'll keep in mind your comment about the floor insulation. I need to give that some more thought during my planning.

The roof for the woodshed would need to be able to hold up to a typical mid-atlantic winter (SE PA outside Philadelphia). I typically figure things out by doing them wrong three or four times, but the roof will be the largest investment, and I'd rather only pay once this time.

 

[Poindexter]

The roof for the woodshed would need to be able to hold up to a typical mid-atlantic winter (SE PA outside Philadelphia). I typically figure things out by doing them wrong three or four times, but the roof will be the largest investment, and I'd rather only pay once this time.

You probably have a county extension agent who can help you out with basic design parameters for your area for free.